THE NEW FORESTRY
The City of Thunder Bay has a strong economic history in the forestry sector. Since the early 1900s, the forestry sector has contributed to the city’s economic growth. Since then, structural changes have occurred in the sector, both locally and internationally. Today, Thunder Bay is proud to be home to not only the largest sawmill east of the Rockies, a large pulp and paper mill, but also pilot plants and research centres within the forest bioeconomy sector. These initiatives to foster growth in a new forestry bioeconomy cluster are tightly joined to the traditional forest products sector in Thunder Bay.
The Benefits of Mass Timber Workforce Communities – A Study for Northwestern Mining Workforce Communities
In response to the imminent surge in mineral exploration and processing, the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) is pleased to announce the release of a comprehensive study exploring the advantages of integrating Mass Timber, with a focus on Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), in the mining sector’s infrastructure. The study was made possible by the support of the Centre for Research and Innovation in Bio-economy (CRIBE)
Why Invest in Thunder Bay's Bioeconomy
The Thunder Bay region is located at a logistical crossroads for rail, pipelines, and marine shipping. As Northwestern Ontario’s largest community, it is a regional hub serving many other northern communities and facilities. Access to the midwestern United States, Western Canada, and advanced manufacturing in Southern Ontario, provide markets for both traditional, and advanced forest products. The ability to transport the materials effectively by water, rail, and highway offer potential investor connections to reach downstream markets, and access to pertinent materials in their supply chain. The existing pipelines and energy handling facilities in the region offer market access and the potential to develop biofuels close to feedstock.
Opportunities for Thunder Bay’s Bioeconomy
- Wood Supply – Underutilization of Poplar and Birch
- The supply of wood fibre in the region is stable for softwood species, such and spruce and pine, but there is an underutilization of birch and poplar.
- Limited product outlets for birch and poplar are present in the area. The principal industrial forestry processing capacity is more focused on SPF (White and Black Spruce, Jack Pine and Balsam Fir), birch and poplar are not as sought out but must be harvested as part of SPF harvesting operations. This dynamic can result in an oversupply of Poplar and Birch to utilize in bioeconomy and forest product value chains.
- New users of Poplar and Birch will work with existing industrial operations to access fibre along side SPF operations
Geospatial Solutions For Economic Development
Created by the Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy, the ForestEDGE toolsets can be used to learn about the wood supply, forest practices, and policies that govern Ontario’s Forestry sector. Look for Thunder Bay to understand surrounding forest products facilities, estimated available volumes of fibre, pre-feasibility costing, and connections to regional supply chains.
Development of Bioeconomy Sub Sectors with the highest potential of success in Thunder Bay
Engineered wood
Strengths
- Low-carbon alternative to concrete and steel
- Growing acceptance from the construction industry for its use
- CLT has multiple applications of both commercial and residential construction, and infrastructure
- CLT is generally produced using SPF species which are present in the region
- Bulk shipping options in Thunder Bay (rail, maritime) can be used both to receive inputs (adhesives) and send outputs (CLT)
Opportunities
- New industry in North America first plants established less than 10 years ago – less competition
- Building code changes to incorporate new fabrication techniques using engineered wood
- Possibility of working with local researchers to develop adhesives for engineered wood from lignin sourced in the region (e.g., Lakehead U. fire testing lab)
- CLT is generally produced using SPF species which are present in the region
- Complementary to use of SPF species being used for pulp
Biochemicals
Strengths
- Lakehead University and FPInnovation laboratories are a leader in product exploration and market innovation
- Large supply of poplar, cedar, birch, and other hardwoods
- Commercially viable applications for producing bioplastics from wood exist
- Pilot projects for biorefining have already taken place in the region
Opportunities
- Deriving value from a surplus of less merchandised tree types (e.g. birch and poplar)
- Canadian government plans to ban the use of single-use plastics starting in 2021: bioplastics likely to be exempt
Our PARTNERS
Lakehead University
Lakehead University, a regional university with a strong presence in biotechnology research, constitutes a major asset to Thunder Bay. The University touts its research strengths in advanced technology, biorefining, materials sciences, and natural resources. Researchers in these fields are assets as they relate to R&D work that could be undertaken by private investors locating in the region.
Lakehead is particularly well suited to research in the forestry industry and is currently working on forestry mapping and maximizing forestry usage initiatives, depending on the end-use.
Centre for Research & Innovation in the Bio-economy (CRIBE)
The CRIBE is an independent and not-for-profit corporation set-up to support innovation to commercialization in value-added forestry. The Center’s presence in Thunder Bay is a clear signal to investors that the region is dedicated to getting more out of the provincial forestry industry.
Projects funded by CRIBE have been used to fund pilot projects in biofuels, mapping, and surveying forest resources, technology development, and anything else in line with value-added to the forestry industry.
FPInnovations
FPInnovations is a private, not-for-profit organization that specializes in creating solutions in support of Canada’s forestry industry with an emphasis on the development of new technology. Its R&D labs are located in Montreal, Quebec City, and Vancouver.
In addition to its main labs, the organization operates satellite research facilities. In Thunder Bay, FPInnovations operates a world-class, state-of-the-art Bio-Economy Technology Centre and pilot plants, with a focus on lignin extraction for use in both biofuels and biochemicals. The Centre itself is located within a pulp mill facility
Confederation College
Confederation College in Thunder Bay, with seven regional campuses in Northwestern Ontario, educates 7,000 students annually through various learning modes. It offers programs in natural resources, engineering, and skilled trades. The college supports industry through applied research, building operations, and technical equipment. Its Technology, Education, and Collaboration (TEC) Hub provides advanced facilities for manufacturing and technology innovation. The Thunder Bay campus also features the BioEnergy Learning and Research Centre (BLRC), a biomass boiler plant using wood chips for heating, which supports tours, knowledge sharing, and research on biomass heating in northern Ontario.
Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre
The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre supports innovative companies from the product development stage to commercialization as they look to start and grow their companies in Northwestern Ontario. NOIC helps new and existing companies build connections, find funding and resources, grow business skills, and provides training opportunities.
